Tongue-switch.



E. H. STEBDMAN.

TONGUE SWITCH.

.APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1912.

,Qg, Patented m1111913.

UNITED STATES PATENT onFIoE.

EDWINH. STEEDMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO .CURTIS & COMIANY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WELLSTON, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS- SOURI.

Application led April 25, 1912. Serial 693,142.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. STEEDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tongue- Switches, of which the following i's a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway switches,

and particularly to tongue switches of thel type described in my pending application Serial No. 615,070, filed March 17, 1911, wherein I have claimed -broadly certain features of the switch described in my present application.

'.One object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive cast metal tongue switch that has all of the'good qualities which are essential to av successful commercial switch, and which is so designed that there are no exposed portions on the sides of the tongue at the rear of the center of oscillation on which the flange of -a passingv wheel can exert lateral pressure and. thus accidentally throw the tongue sidewise or produce what is commonly termed a` split switch.

Another object is to provide a tongue switch of the character above-described.

which is so designed that there are no knife edges or sharp thin portions on the body part of the switch which are liable to become broken when the switch is in use. And still another object is to provide a switch of the character described whose tongue is provided at its heel end with a semi-cylindricalshaped pivotal portion and with a semi-conical-shaped pivotal portion, both o f which fit in a pocket of corresponding shape in the body part of the switch, the upper end of the cylindrical-shaped portion of the tongue terminating at the running surface of the tongue and the base or bottom face 'of said semi-conical-shaped portion resting on a horizontal bearing surface or Hoor on the body part of the switch that extends rearwardly or back of the pointon the tread surface of the tongue which a wheel first strikes in passing onto the heel end ofthe l tongue.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

TONGUE-SWITCH.,

Patented Jan.`7,191a.

of a tongue switch constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of vthe switch; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through the center of the switch, the

tongue being shown in elevation; ig. 4 is Aa-v transverse vertical Vsectional view taken 'on a line. indicated by the section lines 1r-4in ganese steel or seine other suitable hard steel.

The tongue B is provided at its heel end with two pivotal bearing surfaces, one consisting of a semi-cylindrical-shaped portion 1 whose upper end terminates. at thevrunning surface or tread surface of the tongue,

and the other consisting of a semi-conicalshaped portion Q whose base or bottom face rests upon a floor ,or horizontal bearing surface 3 on the body part A ofthe switch which is of greater width or diameter than the horizontal distance betweenthe inner edges of the wheel flange grooves 4 in said body part. Said body part has apocket that con-forms to the shape of the semi-cylindrical and semi-conical-shaped pivotal bearing surfaces on the heel of the tongue and, as shown inFig. 5, said pocket projects laterally underneath the wheel ange grooves 4. The cooperating pivotal bearing surfaces on the heel end of the tongue and on the body part of the switch are employed to restrain lateral forces which ,tend to move the tongue crosswise of the lbody.part, and the horizontal bearing surface 3 on the body part which extends rearwardly or back of the point on the tread surfaces of the tongue f which a wheel first strikesin passing onto the heel end of the tongue, is ample to support the vertical forces acting at the heel end of the tongue.

ioo

By constn' cting'the switch in the manner eventually cause the tongue to rock vertically, thus overcoming the possibility ot the tongue tilting or cooking up when iwheel passes onto the heel end of saine. The overllanging vall on the body7 part A which einbraces the seini-conical-shaped portion i! on the heel end oi' the tongue, tends to hold the tongue rmly down on the horizontal bearing surface 3 provided for saine when the tongue is forced back into the pocket in the body part, and as this portion of the pocket is located some distance below the tread surface or running surface ot' the body part the entire Senii-eonical-shaped portion 2 ot the tongue is arranged below or in a lower horizontal plane than the bottoni of the grooves 4 in the body part A which receive the [langes of the wheels, this feature being clearly illustrated in Figs. d and rthe semi-cylindrical-slnlpcd portion 1 on the heel of the tongue-is of less width than' the widest portion of the tread surface of the tongue and consequently the portion ot the pocket in the body part Ar which receives said semicylindrical-shaped portion t does not merge or extend into the grooves l in the body part that receives the llanges on the wheels. In other words, the pivotal bearing portions l and 2 on the heel ot the tongue and the pocket in the body party A which receives said portions are so -flesigned that said pocket does not communicate with or merge into the wheel tlange `grooves 4 in the body part A, thereby eliminating sharp edges-or comparatively thin tins on the body part A which inight be liable to break when the switch is in use, the front 'tace or end 'tace of the portion A ot the body part in which the pocketl is Ytorined being vertical throughout its entire width, as shown in Figs. L), -t and 5. 4'lhe walls ot the pocket in the body part A completely incase or surround the part oit' the semi-cylindrical-shaped portion 2 on the heel ot' the tongue that lies at the rear of the center ot oscillation .u ot. the tongue, and as the part ot' said semi-amicalshaped portion which lies in front o1I the center ot` oscillation is lot-ated below or in a lower horimntal plane than the bottom of the wheel tlangegrtnwes L there is no possibility ot the [lange ot a passing wheel exerting lateral pressure on the extreme heel end of the tongue and thus accidentally throwing the tongue sidewise or producing what is con'unonly termed a .split switch To t'urther reduce the possibilityr ot' the tongue being shifted sidewise :weidentally by a passingwheel, T bevel voti'l the portions 5 of the tongue that. lie immediately in frontI of the portion A ot' vthebody of the .switch in which the pocket for the heel end of the tongue is formed.

ln order to eliminate grinding and accurate 4finishing of the cooperating pivotal bearing surfaces of the tongue and body part of the switch, I torna a semi-circulan shaped recess t3 at the lower end of the pocket in the body part which receives the the lower edge portion of the senci-conicall` shaped part i) on the heel of the tongue, and .l also form a horizontally disposed groove 7 on the tongue at the junction of the semicylindrical shaped portion 1 and semi-coni cal-shaped portion 2, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It' desired, a groove or recess 8' may be formed at amnoxiinatelythe ceneroi the tapered wall ot tbc pocketin the body part A for the saine purpose. namely, to overcoine the necessity ot' machining the portion 2 ot the tongue and the cooperating surface on the body part so as to obtain a perfect tit. Means is provided Vfor moving the tongue rearwardly so as to take up lost inotien and wear between the cooperating pivotal bearing surfaces on the tongue and body part of the switch, and in practice the tongue and body part et the switch are so designed that the semi-cyliinlrical-shaped part 1 of the f tongue does noty tit tmugly against the coperating surtace of the pocket in the body part when the switch is first. installed, but it the semi-conical-shaped portion 2 wears after the switch has been in use for some ti1ne.the semi-cylindricalshaped portion 1 will bear upon the semi-cylindriealshaped wall of the pocket which receives the portion l ot' the tongue. The senti-eylindrical shaped. portion 1 H however7 wears anni.

fasterY than the senii-conieal-shapcd portion Q on the tongue on account of the greater area otthe portion 2 and consequently, a snug' enga-gement or accurate fitting of the seini-conical-shaped portion 2 with the ta,- pered wall ot the pocket in the body part A ot the switch is always insured. i

The tongue B is provided on its under [Siae with n departing tug 9 which is prererably 'formed integral with the tongue and arranged in such a manner that the conical surface 9 on the front side of said lug is concentric with the axis of rotation ot the tongue. The means herein shown for moving the tongue rearwardly so as to take up lost motion and Wear consists of a bearing member or quarter-box 10 having a tapered curved surface that coperates with theconical surface 9a on the depending lug on the tongue, and a Wedge-shaped locking device 11 for holding said ybearing member in engagement with said lug and causing it to exert rearward and downward pressure on.

said lug and tongue. The lug 9y quarterbox 10, andvdevice 11 are arranged in e honsing12 on the' under side of the body part A of the switch, ,and a coiled compres,- sion spring 13, or some other suitable means.

is rovided for eXertLl g pressure on they we( ge-shaped device 11 so as to automatrcally take up any lost motion or Wear between tho cooperating bearing surfaces on the tongue and body part or between the quarter-box 10 and the lug 9 on the under side of the tongue. The spring 13l is preferably arranged between one end of the wedge-shaped device l1 and a spring-seat lll carried by a bracket 15 on the body part A of the switch, and the inclined face of said wedge-shaped device 11 which bears against the housing 12 is formed at such an angle that the wedge will not be forced outwardly or become accidentally displaced by any pressure which the lug 9 might exert on the quarter-box 10 when the switch is in service. Various other means might be employed, however, for locking the tongue B in operative position and forcing it rearwardly so as to take up wear and therefore Ido not wish it to be understood that my inventionv is limited to the means just described for retaining the tongue in opera tive position. In View of the fact that it is not necessary to machine or accurately lit a number of coperating surfaces on the tongue and body part of the switch the switch can be manufacturedt at a low cost from manganese steel or other suitable hard steel castings, and when the switch is repaired a new part will tit in a used part without4 re-grinding or shaping the surfaces of the used part.

A switch of the construction abovedescribedcan be cast from manganese steel or other suitable hard steel with minimum troubleand expense in the foundry and assembled into a working switch without other finishing than is usual lon castings in a foundry, such, for example, as removing gates and fins and grinding od rough lumps, and therefore it can be manufactured cheaply. It is safe because there are no ex-4 posed portions on the heel of the tongue lying at the rear of the center of oscillation on which a passing wheel can exert side pressure and thus throw the tongue sidewise accidentally; and furthermore, t-he tongue' of such a switch cannot tilt or cock up when a wheel passes onto same on account of the relatively large horizontal bearing surface 3 on the floor of the switch on which the bott-om face of the semi-conicalshaped portion 2 of the tongue bears.

In addition to the desirable features above-mentioned a switch of the character previously described is exceptionally strong and durable because there are no knife edges or thin 'sharp portions on the body part A of the. 'switch which are liable to become broken.

Having thus described iny invention, what I-claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

l. A tongue switch comprising a tongue, a body part provided with grooves for the wheel flanges, a tapered portion on the heel of the tongue whose lower end is wider than the horizontal distance between the inner edges of said wheel ange grooves, and a pocket in the body part for said vtapered portion arranged between said grooves and in such a'manner that it does not intersect or merge into same.

2. A tongue switch comprising a tongue, a body part provided with grooves for the wheel flanges, a tapered portion on the heel of the tongue, a pocket in the body p'art for said tapered portion that projects laterally underneath said wheel flange grooves, said pocket being arranged in such a manner that it does not intersect or merge into the wheel flange grooves, and means coperatiLg' with said tongue that tends to force the tongue rearwardly so as to hold the sov wheel flange grooves, a pocket in said body part for said semi-conical-shaped portion arranged in. such a manner that it does not .back of the center of oscillation of the tongue, and means for retaining the tongue in operative position in said body part.

4. In a tongue switch, an oscillating tongue, a body part provided with grooves for the wheel flanges, an approximately semi-conical-shaped portion on the heel end of the tongue whose lower end portion projects laterally under said grooves, a pocket in said body part for said semi-conical` shaped portion arranged in such a manner that it does not intersect or merge into said grooves, a horizontal bearing surface on said body part on which said semi-conicalshaped portion bears, said surface extending rearwardly or back of the center of oscillation of the tongue, and means which tends to move thegtonguerearwardly so as to take up lost motion or wear between said semi-conicalshaped portion and the walls of the pocket in said body part.

5. In a tongue switch, a tongue, a body part provided with grooves for the wheel flanges, and a curved pivotal bearing portion on the heel end of the tongue fitting in between the Elmer ed f Smid pivotal heario thu; ,oo pori; o flange of :L po who from 'tho longue, :md o' with Suid l ro hold, ih@ por'on on the lo' Vue lo im por prevent l'he longue wom mow 7.4 In u longuo su'lfh parl, provided will; of the Wheels; L pooh whooe up 9er oud 'ermmfll freud Surl'aeo of loo/or oud proj Wheel flange disposed lhur .v or mergo lolo ud afl-mareo lo Such o irl'u l from '/Lonl'ol homing v purl' for the under :ode oil: rho longue lll: 'l' z 'omis rearwsrriilly or hwk ille wider o'l o: llu-4 oh llo hoff; oil-f of lne lzouggue mul lo Md body por@ lo. @nog eng; gummi. l0. lo. a torn. Ao switch, :1 bodg) pz img o porlo o whisk l pocket 3:1 's ohh and .l u s extending; l'rzmsverooly oilE the swlelu a longue mouul'ed on lid body 'purl'y and provided at its heel end lr lu ufed pivotal hearing portion 'hat :lo en .l pockete tho lower end or under side of said liopered pvotol bearing portion boing; ofigreoler Width ihm the trend. surf he longue, und beveled surfaces on moo of l s Ween the fougue and the front faire of the 1, :L body port havioh hx whrh 'pocketis formed, me oil .fold portion being Subslrogglxl'` oud amending lfozlse lho swilrlr7 :1 longue m led. ou :ovlded at 'll'ss heel end bearing portion that, lower end or under voted homing; portion l, 'll'mh tho trend sur develod surf-uws on the l. fo m clem'ouoes be- 1 e from' for l of the ud md/ port in Whleh smid Y.-. .lo :i1 lollg o Swiloh, u body part having; lmro'dxroys, for the flanges olf the Wheels, l door on Suid body port arranged nt a, lower len-l llmu lh@ hotl'om of said lluugeomys, an osrllntog tongue urrllmged in :1 receSs in mid holly par@ :lud provided on its under oido will; 1 dopeodmg lug;- that projects v1sewnwmrllythrough ,mld lloor, Saldlughemg la l1 on ol,1 tho longue o phfolal portonon the heel ood of ihe longue loczrl'ed hack oi the wolier ol oscl lul/loo und extending upwardly from mid floor to lille running' surfacooi 'the owl# vh, lill-e upper end oil. said. pivotal portion hll'ciunflef: mg; Suid running Surface in a Hemielrolo of much ,lesudmx'uor lhzm 'lho horiA xonlzd dslmwo between lho inner edges of sold Runge-ways at the vouler o oscillation o?" lho lozug'lxe, and alle lower end of Suid 'uroul porloo, which 'salio upon Huid door, 'fluo' :r dnmeor lholv lo only slightly less tho llor'zonlnl dslonce between the olf lhe {lungo-ways in sold body oler of oscillation, thus giving tho longue :i ,large bearing saurluce on lih'e l or ol lll@ lu'nrlypur. nl; the rear nod Sides of llxvcexposefl rumllnm o pocket in mid body port for the pvotal all . menudo www;

of said portion 'being suhmod, n depending' lug' ou the U Surface of l'he tongue,

n tes monjy whereof T hereunto s" sece of le wdy Il' t and me 'the dfesignature 111l ih@ p'esenc@ @f awo z 4 

